In the last few years, I’ve faced various situations where I had no idea how they could possibly be solved. Sometimes, it seemed as if they didn’t have solutions. However, because my faith was firmly planted in the truth of God’s Word and the knowledge that He never fails, and I was seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as Jesus told us to, I knew that somehow, there would be a solution.
Jesus said: “I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.” 1
The Holy Spirit was sent to us after Jesus’ death to help us understand the truth and to apply Jesus’ words to whatever situation we find ourselves in. I believe that is why, when we revisit the Scriptures, they often take on new meaning for us, as the Holy Spirit shows us how to apply them or reveals more of their depth to us.
There are many examples in God’s Word of how to approach the challenges of life. One such example that I find applicable to many difficulties that I encounter is the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles chapter 20, where he had no hope of any kind of human rescue from the various superior forces that were against him. In fact, there were three armies joining together to try to destroy him and his people. He said to God, “We don’t know what to do, and so we are looking to you for help.” 2
Jehoshaphat gave God the glory and thanked Him for His greatness and the wonder of His love. He reminded himself and the people who had gathered of all the times when God had come through for them in the past. He wanted everyone to recognize how their great God had come to their rescue time after time after time when there seemed to be no hope in sight.
We all have times when it looks like there is no solution to the situation we find ourselves in. And that may well be the case without God’s intervention.
We can’t say, “Jesus, I’ll trust You and praise You as long as You do this or that for me, or You don’t allow this or that to happen.” We need to place ourselves in His hands, knowing that He will always bring us through and cause whatever we face to work together for good in the end. When you thank God for something after it happens, that’s gratitude. It takes faith to thank God for the answer to your prayers before it happens.
By faith, you can thank God in advance before you see the answer. You can say something like, “Jesus, You know that request I made the other day? I thank You that the answer is mine. I don’t have to see it to know that You have answered. You have promised to answer, and that’s all I need. I thank You that the matter is already settled, and when it’s Your perfect time for the best solution to appear, it will.”
You don’t keep saying, “Please give it, please give it, please give it.” Instead, you say, “Jesus, here’s my heart cry that I know You will answer according to Your will. Thank You!” That is a manifestation of your faith, when you thank God in advance.
Whatever you feed, that’s what gains power in your life. Focus on thanksgiving and praise, and that will feed your faith! Faith is the victory!3 Manifest that faith through your words, your thoughts, the intents of your heart, and you will overcome the world. Fill your mind with words of thanksgiving and praise, and you will come through victorious in the end.
Hebrews 11 states: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. But now, they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” 4
In this life, those men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 often didn’t see all that was promised to them, but they knew the author of those promises! They knew that He wouldn’t fail! For them, faith became a way of life that permeated their thoughts and decisions. It was a conviction that grew throughout their lives so that whatever they faced in the moment was secondary to what they knew by faith was to come.
Those of faith in the Old Testament believed without seeing Jesus’ redemption manifested during their lifetime. We have the blessing of knowing that Jesus has already redeemed us, but we still can’t see all that Jesus has promised to those who love Him.
God wants us to trust Him in all circumstances. If the answer to your prayer comes immediately, then rejoice. When you don’t see the answer right away, keep thanking Him anyway, because you trust Him. You have His assurance that He will keep you and give you strength and all that you need to hang on until the answer arrives.
Faith in God that when we have asked, He has heard our petition and will answer in the way He knows is best, could in some ways be compared to a trust fund. Trust funds can take on many forms, but they are most often used to ensure that money or other assets are distributed in a way that will provide maximum benefit to the receiver over the long term.
A friend of mine was a recipient of a trust fund. Sometimes, the trust would limit what funds were given to him even though he requested more. But then, an unanticipated medical event occurred, and he was desperately in need of funds for his care and support. Because the trust had rationed the funds, the money was there when it was needed most.
Likewise, God provides the answers to our prayers according to His perfect will and what will bring about the greatest good in the situation and in our lives. That’s why it’s so important to have faith in His love for us. We need to trust in His wisdom.
Whether the answers to your prayers are manifested immediately or whether they take time to be manifested or whether God has a different plan altogether in mind, we can trust that the answers have been settled in heaven. When we thank Him for His faithfulness, we’re declaring our trust that the God of the universe who loves us and has already sacrificed so much to save and restore us and to be with us through everything is going to continue to be who He is to us: a friend, a father, a protector, a savior, a healer, the source of all truth and power, a provider of all that we need, a guide, and the answer to every problem and question we will ever encounter.